Newly-promoted Hawke’s Bay Tui continue to shine in Farah Palmer Cup

Newly-promoted Hawke’s Bay continue to shine in the Farah Palmer Cup, securing another impressive victory at the weekend.

In what is their first year in the premiership since the competition split into two divisions in 2017, the Tui, under new coach Sione Cherrington-Kite, had already opened their season with a win over Auckland and a narrow loss to Waikato.

On Sunday they then proceeded to tip over another 2022 top-four side in the Wellington Pride, winning 33-22 in Lower Hutt, which sees them sit fourth with three rounds to play before the semifinals.

Led well by first-five Krysten Cottrell, who also nailed four conversions from five attempts, the visitors had centre Teilah Ferguson score a double as they came out on the right side of a frantic finish at the Hutt Recreation Ground.

Trailing 26-15 with five minutes to play, the Pride had the impressive Joanah Ngan-Woo crash over to give them a sniff, then soon later from a quick tap they spread left and Harmony Kautai looked to have scored the match-winner in the corner, but referee Cassie Watt ruled she had in fact knocked on.

An error following the resulting goal-line dropout then handed the Tui the chance to close the game out, and after opting to run from the scrum they in the end even denied the hosts a bonus point when Cottrell broke through the middle on a 50-metre run, with Jaimee Robin on hand to finish once the ball was recycled.

The Tui are level on points with Auckland, after the Storm returned from their bye with a 61-19 thumping of the Bay of Plenty Volcanix at Colin Maiden Park on Saturday.

Auckland winger Angelica Vahai scored a hat-trick, while Sylvia Brunt, Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Katelyn Vaha’akolo, Melanie Puckett and Eloise Blackwell also scored, against a BOP side who have lost all four games to date and have scored just six tries and conceded 31.

It was a tighter contest further down SH1 on Saturday, with Waikato edging the Counties Manukau Heat 13-5 at St Paul’s Collegiate School.

Counties’ Jaymie Kolose, was the first over the line in the 40th minute but Waikato had the better of the second half as Toka Natua bagged a try in the 68th and fullback Renee Holmes added to her first half penalty with a conversion and another penalty in the 80th minute to ensure the table-toppers kept their unbeaten record intact.

Meanwhile, the Manawatū Cyclones remain top of the championship division after thrashing the North Harbour Hibiscus 57-9 at Silverdale War Memorial Park on Sunday, in a match where the hosts bizarrely opted to kick at goal when down 36-0 after 46 minutes, as well as when behind 50-6 after an hour.

It was similarly one-sided stuff on Friday night, with Tasman hammering the Taranaki Whio 61-10 in New Plymouth, while on Saturday night the Northland Kauri had Black Ferns prop Krystal Murray to the fore with a hat-trick in their 42-20 victory over the Otago Spirit in Whangārei.

AT A GLANCE

Farah Palmer Cup, Rd 4

PREMIERSHIP

At Colin Maiden Park, Auckland: Auckland Storm 61 Bay of Plenty Volcanix 19

At St Paul’s Collegiate School, Hamilton: Waikato 13 Counties Manukau Heat 5

At Hutt Recreation Ground, Lower Hutt: Hawke’s Bay Tui 33 Wellington Pride 22

Points (games played): Waikato 18 (4), Canterbury 12 (3), Auckland 11 (3), Hawke’s Bay 11 (3), Counties Manukau 10 (3), Wellington 2 (4), Bay of Plenty 0 (4)

CHAMPIONSHIP

At Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth: Tasman 61 Taranaki Whio 10

At Northland Events Centre, Whangārei: Northland Kauri 42 Otago Spirit 20

At Silverdale War Memorial Park, Auckland: Manawatū Cyclones 57 North Harbour Hibiscus 9

Points (games played): Manawatū 15 (3), Tasman 12 (3), Northland 12 (3), Otago 10 (3), North Harbour 1 (3), Taranaki 0 (3)